Inspiring a-ha moments every day

Some people are just born to be teachers. Kim Bouchie is one of those people.

Teaching is something of a family business in Kim Bouchie’s family. Her mom was a teacher in a Head Start program; Bouchie began assisting in early childhood classroom in high school. Since then, she’s never looked back. Today she is a true role model for early childhood educators at the KinderCare center in Stoneham, Mass., and she gushes about the children she teaches in her prekindergarten class.

“Children inspire me each day to want to come to work so I can teach them to be the best they can be,” she said. “The a-ha moment is priceless. It’s such a happy feeling inside to know you had a part of that.”

Bouchie’s dedication to her students and to her profession was apparent even during her interview for a preschool teacher position nearly four years ago. Every leader who meets her is pulled into a conversation about what could be done to advance learning – of children and teachers alike. On Regional Vice President Sonny Russell’s first visit to her center she peppered him with questions about how she and her peers around the country could share ideas with each other.

When she was promoted to kindergarten teacher this summer she was a driving force behind the K12 Yammer group. She also leads regional K12 calls, sharing ideas and curriculum examples with other KinderCare kindergarten teachers.

“Every moment is a teaching moment with Kim,” Russell said. “She wants to be the best she can be and wants to partner with others to help them reach goals.”

Bouchie’s a-ha moment this fall may have been when two television news crews came into Stoneham KinderCare outside of Boston to interview her as a winner of the 2015 Knowledge Universe Early Childhood Educator Awards. Teaching isn’t often rewarded or recognized on such a scale.

“It’s definitely a validation to know what I’m doing counts,” she said.

“Her dedication, her knowledge, her general love of children made her a natural choice for this award,” said Suzy Rosemond, center director.

See for yourself what makes Bouchie and award-winning teacher in the video below.